Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta

Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta - an easy to prepare one-pot meal or side dish that is ready for the table in about 40 minutes. 

The butternut squash in this pasta dish, combined with the Parmesan cheese, adds so much creaminess that there is no need for added milk or cream to create a sauce. The cheese and the squash, along with the pasta, do all of the heavy lifting. 

I love the flavors of this pasta dish. It's also so colorful with the yellow-orange squash, cheese, green basil, and crushed red pepper. Oh, and this dish is deliciously garlicky! 

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash: A smallish one is the right size. While I peeled and cut up my own squash, to make this cheesy butternut squash pasta even easier to prepare, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash in some grocery stores. No shame in that! 

Garlic: You'll need 8 cloves that you thinly slice. I have one of those 2-in-1 tools that you can use for mincing or slicing garlic. I've had it forever. While lately I've been cheating and using pre-minced garlic, this tool is especially handy for thinly slicing garlic... especially 8 cloves! 

Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated, plus some shaved Parmesan for topping. 

Chicken Stock: You can also use vegetable stock to keep this dish vegetarian, although you will probably have to substitute another cheese for the Parmesan, which is not considered vegetarian due to enzymes used in its production. 

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: This pasta is spiced with crushed red pepper, one of my favorite seasonings (I pretty much put it on everything).

Basil: I used fresh basil, but you can also cheat a little and use Gourmet Garden lightly dried basil instead of fresh basil (except for the garnish). You can usually find the little bowls of the stuff near the fresh herbs in the produce section of your grocery store. 

From your Pantry: Penne pasta, extra virgin olive oil, and kosher salt. 

More recipe ideas for using winter squash: 

Cocktails? Yes! Acorn Squash Rum Punch and Pumpkin Martinis. 

Soups and Sides? Instant Pot Spicy Butternut Squash Soup or Delicata Squash Fries with Chipotle Garlic Dipping Sauce. 

Dessert! Pumpkin Bars with Maple Frosting and Toasted Walnuts. 

What I love about this cheesy butternut squash pasta dish, besides how delicious it is, is that you prepare it in one pan on the stovetop... no extra pots, pans, or bowls are necessary. 

This pasta is a like a much lighter version of mac and cheese, without the béchamel, and it's so simple and easy to make. It is wonderful served with a salad for lunch or light dinner. 

We served this as a side dish with rotisserie chicken and green beans for a simple but delicious dinner for four. 

What to do with Leftovers: 

This is a great dish for taking leftovers to work for lunch. You can microwave a single leftover serving of this pasta for one minute and enjoy. 

You can also dress up leftovers with whatever else you might have on hand. 

In fact, leftovers of this pasta were great microwaved with some baby spinach and a dash of marinara sauce for an entirely different take on this dish. If you have some leftover meatballs or meatloaf, just layer some fresh spinach, the pasta, the meat, and a couple of spoonfuls of marinara and microwave for a minute or two and stir. Pretty tasty improv leftovers.

Flavors of Fall:

Welcome to Fall Flavors, organized by Jolene's Recipe Journal! We'll be posting recipes all week featuring the best of fall ingredients. My first post was a Brussels sprouts pizza recipe and my second was a delicious apple and arugula salad with an amazing three cheese crostini. 

Be sure to check out everyone's recipes:

Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Warm Apple Crisp with Oat Topping by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box

Creamy Garlic Chicken by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Carrot Cake Blondies by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Old-Fashioned Skillet Goulash by A Little Fish in the Kitchen

Sweet Potato Sodhi by Magical Ingredients

Cinnamon Ice Cream by Art of Natural Living

Octoberfest Stew by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Apple and Spinach Salad by Palatable Pastime

Brussels Sprouts with Honey Vinaigrette by The Spiffy Cookie

Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake by That Recipe

Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta - an easy to prepare one-pot meal or side dish that is ready for the table in about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cups cubed butternut squash, about two pound squash
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
• 1 quart (32 ounces) low sodium chicken or vegetable stock (1 carton)
• 1 pound penne pasta (16 ounce package)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

1. In a 6 to 8 quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the cubed butternut squash, salt, and red pepper. Stir, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add the stock and bring the pot to a boil. Add the pasta and, when the mixture returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. When the pasta is al dente, stir in the basil and Parmesan. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, basil, and crushed red pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

454

Fat (grams)

13 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

72 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

67 g

Sugar (grams)

6 g

Protein (grams)

14 g

Cholesterol (grams)

7 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/10/cheesy-butternut-squash-pasta.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Pasta, butternut squash

side dish

American

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Updated September, 2024

This recipe is adapted from Cook Real Food Every Day Magazine, 2018 (no longer in print).